Mule deer · California
Mule deer outfitters work big, open country, so the useful differences are the unit or ranch, whether you need a draw tag, and how much spot-and-stalk walking the hunt involves.
From CDFW - Hunting, CDFW - Big Game Hunting Tags, read October 24, 2026. Seasons, units and quotas change every year; the agency's current regulations decide. See the California draw deadlines.
| Service level | What it means here | Outfitters | Who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guided | A guide accompanies the hunter in the field. Lodging, meals and transport may or may not be included, so read the contract. | 5 | Bitterwater Outfitters, Frontera Hunting, Kyncy Guide Service, Lost Valley Outfitters, North Central Hunts |
| Fully outfitted | The outfitter supplies the guide plus camp or lodging, meals and field logistics (for example vehicles or boats) as one package. | 7 | Backcountry Guided Hunts, Camp Five Outfitters, Central Coast Outfitters, Lockwood Hunting Services, Oak Ridge Outfitters, Oak Stone Outfitters, Skyrose Ranch Hunting |
| Semi-guided | Guide help is partial: for example scouting, a shared guide, or help only at set points such as stand placement or recovery. | – | none listed |
| Drop camp | The outfitter sets up or drops off a camp and transports hunters and gear, but does not guide the hunt. | – | none listed |
| Hunt type | Guided | Fully outfitted | Semi-guided | Drop camp | Listings | Sponsored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 2 | 6 | – | – | 8 | – |
| Rifle | 3 | 5 | – | – | 8 | – |
| Wingshooting | 2 | 3 | – | – | 5 | – |
| Trophy | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Total (a listing counts in each row it matches) | 8 | 14 | – | – | 22 | – |
California outfitter licensing, with sources: licensing in California. All species: guided hunts in California.
Filter the 12 outfitters below. Pick one option in each group; if nothing shows, no listing matches all of them.
Horseback-access guide service (since 1989 per its site) for blacktail deer and black bear in the backcountry of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
Backcountry Guided Hunts website
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
Central Coast outfit running guided wild pig, buffalo, tule elk and blacktail hunts from a ranch headquarters in Shandon.
Bitterwater Outfitters website
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
San Miguel outfitter with lodging, guiding wild pig, wild turkey, blacktail deer and tule elk hunts on private Central Coast land.
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
Santa Maria-based outfitter (guiding since 1995 per its site) offering tule elk on Peachtree Ranch with landowner tags, plus black bear, blacktail,…
Central Coast Outfitters website
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
San Ardo outfit running one- and two-day guided wild pig hunts year-round on private Central Coast ranches, plus tule elk, aoudad, blacktail deer…
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
Redding-area fishing and hunting guide service offering three- and four-day guided black bear, deer and turkey hunts in Northern California mountains.
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
Ukiah-based service running one-on-one blacktail, spot-and-stalk black bear, wild pig and turkey hunts on private Mendocino County ranches, with…
Lockwood Hunting Services website
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
Paso Robles outfitter offering two-day guided rifle and archery wild pig hunts, tule elk, blacktail deer, Rio Grande turkey, upland bird and…
Lost Valley Outfitters website
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
Willows-based guide hunting ducks and geese on private ground in Glenn, Colusa and Butte counties, plus blacktail, bear and wild pig packages from a…
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
Soares family outfit based in Hanford guiding blacktail, tule elk, wild pig, turkey, buffalo and exotic ram hunts on private ranches in the Coast…
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
Bradley-based outfitter guiding blacktail, wild pig, tule elk, predator, upland bird, Rio Grande turkey, dove and band-tailed pigeon hunts on…
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
San Miguel ranch outfit guiding tule elk, blacktail deer and wild pig hunts and bird hunts, with on-ranch accommodations.
License not checked: California requires a guide license, and its public guide list shows no license numbers. Confirm with the outfitter.
| Outfitter | Service level | Species | Hunt types | License on file | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backcountry Guided Hunts | Fully outfitted | Black bear, Mule deer | Rifle, Archery | Not checked | |
| Bitterwater Outfitters | Guided | Wild hog, Elk, Exotics and high fence, Mule deer | Rifle, Archery | Not checked | |
| Camp Five Outfitters | Fully outfitted | Wild hog, Turkey, Elk, Mule deer | Rifle, Archery | Not checked | |
| Central Coast Outfitters | Fully outfitted | Elk, Black bear, Wild hog, Upland birds, Turkey, Mule… | Rifle, Archery, Wingshooting | Not checked | |
| Frontera Hunting | Guided | Wild hog, Elk, Mule deer, Exotics and high fence, Dove | Rifle | Not checked | |
| Kyncy Guide Service | Guided | Black bear, Turkey, Mule deer | Trophy | Not checked | |
| Lockwood Hunting Services | Fully outfitted | Black bear, Wild hog, Turkey, Mule deer | Archery | Not checked | |
| Lost Valley Outfitters | Guided | Wild hog, Elk, Turkey, Upland birds, Mule deer, Predators | Rifle, Archery, Wingshooting | Not checked | |
| North Central Hunts | Guided | Waterfowl, Black bear, Wild hog, Mule deer | Wingshooting | Not checked | |
| Oak Ridge Outfitters | Fully outfitted | Elk, Wild hog, Turkey, Mule deer, Exotics and high fence | Rifle, Archery | Not checked | |
| Oak Stone Outfitters | Fully outfitted | Wild hog, Elk, Upland birds, Turkey, Mule deer, Predators,… | Rifle, Archery, Wingshooting | Not checked | |
| Skyrose Ranch Hunting | Fully outfitted | Elk, Wild hog, Upland birds, Mule deer | Wingshooting | Not checked |
Backcountry Guided Hunts, Bitterwater Outfitters, Camp Five Outfitters, Central Coast Outfitters, Frontera Hunting, Kyncy Guide Service, Lockwood Hunting Services, Lost Valley Outfitters, North Central Hunts, Oak Ridge Outfitters, Oak Stone Outfitters, and Skyrose Ranch Hunting. The service-level table above shows which are guided, fully outfitted, semi-guided or drop-camp.
Which unit or ranch is the hunt on, and is the tag over the counter, a draw, or a landowner voucher? How much glassing and walking does a typical day involve?
Start with California Department of Fish and Wildlife. See the California section on its state page for what we could confirm and the date we read it.
